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Nashwaak group to monitor salmon after dam removal

March 30, 2023

Savannah Awde | The Daily Gleaner

The Campbell Creek dam before it was taken down. Photo: Don MacPherson/The Daily Gleaner

As a recipient of this year’s Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, the Nashwaak Rivershed Association will look to monitor salmon activity after the recent removal of the Campbell Creek Dam.

Executive director Marieka Chaplin said the association hopes to use that grant to show that the dam’s removal was key to maintaining a healthy habitat for New Brunswick salmon.

“In 2021, along with a large group of quality partners, we were able to remove the dam on the Campbell Creek, which opened up over 32 square kilometers of habitat for species such as the Atlantic salmon,” she said, “The dam had been blocking their passage.”

That’s an issue when it comes to salmon, she said, as they rely on water travel to “high-quality habitats” for reproduction.

“They need to be able to travel out to cold-water tributaries, and they also need to be able to swim way out to the outer Bay of Fundy to complete their life cycles,” she said.

Until the dam’s removal in 2021, Chaplin said it had been 100 years since salmon had a place to travel for rearing and spawning in the Nashwaak Watershed.

Since then, the association has been collecting data to try and understand how successful the removal has been to regenerating the fish’s population in the river.

“One of the things that we’re going to do with the funding is do [environmental DNA] testing for Atlantic salmon,” she said. “That involves getting water samples from a couple different locations along the creek and seeing if they test positive for outer Bay of Fundy salmon or not.”

If the samples are positive, Chaplin said, it gives the group a “strong guarantee” that the salmon are now using that newly freed stream.

“Certainly it’s been exciting, because that species is being considered for listing on the endangered species list,” she said.

“Our human habitats are better places when we have higher species biodiversity. So we want to create more good spaces for salmon, or American eel, or any other type of endangered or native species here in our province.”

She noted that the association is always interested in helping private landowners with dams on their properties.

The grant will also help the Nashwaak team evaluate road culverts for fish passage.

“The goal of these projects is to improve habitat for this important, nearly listed endangered species,” she said.

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@ASDWLimelight @ASDWLimelight @MusicAsdw Check it out

- 167 days ago

Mr. Woodcock's talented gr 12 FHS music class joined us at Marysville Flats this week! We talked climate change and floodplain restoration. We're excited to hear what they create from their Nashwaak River trip. Kudos to the NB Dept of Ed for supporting this awesome experience! https://t.co/6nGyCy7XBP

- 168 days ago

Thanks for supporting this outdoor learning opportunity. Come visit anytime. It was a pleasure to spend time talking about water, climate change and floodplain restoration. @ASD_West @ASDWLimelight @FHSkats @CityFredGov @CityFredRec #eaunbwater #mynashwaak https://t.co/ALhfzSS123

- 169 days ago

Thanks @mla_mike for leading crown land conservation! https://t.co/ObSdrLvBcq

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@Andrew__Holland @mla_mike @Gov_NB @NCC_CNC Excellent work!

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

2 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
#DYK Pollinator species such as bees 🐝, hummingbirds, and butterflies🦋help plants reproduce by spreading pollen? This is important because it supports the biodiversity of native plants as well as crops around the world.If you would like to help our pollinator friends, here are some tips for growing a pollinator garden:🌻Succession planting - plan to have a variety of plants that bloom from spring to fall.🌷Cultivate variety - different pollinators love different shapes and colours of blossoms. Ensure there is a variety for them to choose from.🪺 Add bird baths and bee houses - this will encourage pollinators to take up residence and come back year after year.See the link below to discover native plant species that will make pollinators sure to visit your garden! 👇davidsuzuki.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DSF-NB-plant-list.pdf#ecofriendlyfriday #pollinator #MyNashwaak #nativeplantgarden ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Wondering what we’ve been up to lately? If you’re new here, you may not know that we plant lots of trees each year to help re-establish healthy floodplain forests along the Nashwaak River. These floodplain forests are composed of a mixture of silver maple, bur oak, red-tipped willow, red-osier dogwood, and many other species to ensure that there is lots of habitat for local biodiversity. 🌱Over the past two weeks, we’ve spent lots of time flagging! Each spring, we flag our recently planted trees so that we can conduct our seasonal maintenance. While these trees are superstars in terms of their ability to help stabilize riverbanks and provide habitat for local wildlife, they still need some help to ensure that they can survive. Mowing these areas helps to reduce competition from grass and ensure that they are receiving adequate sunlight. If you ever feel like lending a hand, please reach out to us via email at staff@nashwaakwatershed.ca! #MyNashwaak #riverbankrestoration #treeplanting #volunteer ... See MoreSee Less

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Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.

4 days ago

Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
Sunday was a beautiful day for birding and what a wonderful gang we had at @nashwaakmeadows . A big thank you to Dan Serpiello and @atlanticducks for making it such a fun morning! The highlight was definitely the American bitterns ❤️ #birdwatching #community #MyNashwaak ... See MoreSee Less

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Contact Us

Mail:
Nashwaak Watershed Association Inc.
P.O. Box 314, Station “A”
Fredericton, NB
E3B 4Y2

Office:
181 Westmorland Street
Fredericton, NB
E3B 3L6
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Phone: 506 447-9699
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